The invention concerns a method for assisting a driver when maneuvering a motor vehicle combination comprising as vehicles at least one towing vehicle and at least two trailers coupled thereto. The invention also concerns a control unit of a towing vehicle.
There are a number of methods for controlling the articulation angle between the trailer and the towing motor vehicle while reversing a motor vehicle combination with a trailer. As a rule, said methods determine a target wheel turning angle from a specified target articulation angle between the trailer and the towing motor vehicle by means of a suitable control algorithm in order to achieve the target articulation angle. Said target wheel turning angle is applied by a suitable steering system. There are both methods that steer the wheels of the towing vehicle and also methods that steer the steerable axles of the trailer.
EP 1 810 913 A 1 concerns assisting a driver of a vehicle combination with a trailer when reversing, whereby the driver specifies the target articulation angle between the towing vehicle or the towing motor vehicle and the trailer and the target articulation angle is then automatically applied by the steering system.
Previous methods for assisting the driver when maneuvering a motor vehicle combination only concentrate, however, on controlling the articulation angle for motor vehicle combinations with only one trailer.
In a departure therefrom, the object of the present invention is to specify a method of the aforementioned type with which the articulation angle of a motor vehicle combination with a plurality of trailers can be controlled.